• Cohabitation - living together without being married.
• Adultery - an act of sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than their marriage partner.
• Divorce Monogamy - the legal ending of a marriage.
• Polygamy - marriage to one partner only.
• Serial monogamy - marriage to more than one partner at a time.
• Nuclear family - mother, father and children living as a unit.
• Extended family - mother, father and children living as a unit. -grandparents/aunts/uncles living as a unit (or living very close and having a lot of contact) with mother, father and children.
• One-parent family - where there has been a separation, divorce or death, and only one of the parents is involved in bringing up the children.

Social Facts
Many more couples now live together before getting married (in 1971 only 7% of couples lived together before marriage; in 1989, 48%).

Fewer people are getting married (450,000 people married in the UK in 1971, but only 299,000 in 1993).

Many more marriages end in divorce (25,000 divorces in 1961; 165,000 in 1991).

There could be many reasons for the rise in divorces:

• it is easier and cheaper to divorce.
• people live longer and have more leisure time, so they spend a longer time together, which makes them bored with each other;
• women are less prepared to put up with bad treatment from their husbands than they used to be.

  The rise in the number of divorces means that there are many more one-parent families and many people think children need to be brought up by two parents.

  Changes in jobs means that people have to travel around the country looking for work, which tends to break up the extended family. This means that parents get less help from relatives in bringing up their children.

CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS

Sex outside marriage

Most Christians - believe that sex should only take place in marriage and that sex before marriage and adultery are both wrong.

They base this on the teachings of the Bible (e.g. the seventh commandment which forbids adultery) and the teachings of church leaders like the Pope.

A few Christians believe sex before marriage is all right as long as: the couple love one another; they are in a long-term loving relationship; they intend to marry eventually.

This view is based on Jesus' teachings about love.

Marriage

Christians regard marriage as a gift from God, but they do not have to marry.

The reasons for Christian marriage are: to live together in love; to have lawful sex; to have comfort and companionship; to have children; to create a Christian family.

The main features of a Christian wedding are: exchange of vows (promises) before God a]-id witnesses; exchange of rings, blessed by God; prayers, Bible readings on marriage, a sermon or talk on the duties of marriage.

Christian marriage is for life, as a vow (promise) in the marriage service says, 'to love and to cherish... till death parts us.'

Divorce

Some Christians (especially Roman Catholics) believe there can be no divorce because Jesus banned divorce and waxen you marry you make promises to God which cannot be broken without God's consent. According to God's law, therefore, a couple can never be divorced.

Some Christians (mainly Protestants) believe that, if a marriage goes wrong and there is no chance of bringing the couple back together, then they can divorce, because God is always prepared to forgive our sins if we are determined to live a new life.

Family life

All Christians believe that children should be brought up in a family with a family with father- (unless one of them has died).

Christian marriage services refer to one of the major purposes of marriage as founding a family and bringing up children in a Christian environment.

Children are seen as a gift from God, and parents are expected to look after them properly and help them to be Christians. Children are expected to respect their parents (the fifth commandment) and care for them when they are old.

How churches help with family life

Most churches have infant baptism, where parents dedicate their children to God and make promises to bring them up in a loving Christian home.

Churches which have 'believers 'baptism' (you are baptised when you are old enough to decide for yourself) rather than infant baptism, have dedication services where similar promises are made.

The services, promises and prayers are intended to help parents in bringing up their children.

Churches run Sunday Schools, uniformed organisations (cubs, brownies, boys and girls brigades etc.) and youth clubs. There are also Church schools which provide a Christian education.

Churches also have family services and special services at Christmas and Easter to bring families together.

Ministers/vicars/priests also act as marriage and family counsellors and some churches (e.g, the Roman Catholic Church) run their own marriage and family guidance service.

MUSLIM TEACHINGS

Sex outside marriage

Islam does not allow sex before or outside marriage and so living together is banned. This is based on the teachings of the Qur'an. The Qur'an also teaches that adultery is a great sin.

To prevent sex outside marriage, girls and boys are separated after puberty and men and women never have mixed gatherings. This means that marriages are usually arranged by parents, though a few British Muslims now ask their parents to arrange a marriage with someone they already know.

Marriage

All Muslims are expected to marry because the Prophet Muhammad was married.

The reasons for marriage are: to follow the example of Muhammad; to share a life of love; to have children and bring them up as good Muslims; to have sex legally.

The main features of a Muslim wedding service are: signing the marriage contract which includes all financial arrangements; sermon, prayers and readings from the Qur'an by an imam; a wedding feast.

Islam allows men to marry up to four wives at a time, but few do this. In Britain, Muslims are not allowed to marry more than one wife, because it would be against British law.

Divorce

Divorce is allowed in Islam because marriage is a contract. However, there are few divorces, because Islam thinks that divorce is a bad thing and breaks up the family, which is very important in Islam. Islam has strict rules about how children are to be looked after if the parents divorce.

Family life

Family life is at the centre of Islam. Children are seen as a gift from God, and parents have a duty to look after them properly. Children should be cared for by the mother and their material needs should be provided by the father.

It is the duty of the mother to keep a good Muslim home (i.e. one that is 'halal') and it is the duty of the father to make sure that the children learn about Islam and become good Muslims.

Adoption is not allowed in Islam and it is therefore the duty of the family to care for any children who have no parents to look after them. This idea of the extended family is helped by Muslim inheritance laws, which keep money in the family and do not allow one child to inherit everything.

When the parents become old, it is the duty of their children to look after them, repaying their kindness. If old people have no children living, then other members of the family are expected to take care of them.

All of this is commanded by the Qur'an and the Hadith.

How the Mosque helps with family life

Mosques run special schools (madrassahs) during evenings and weekends to educate children in Islam and to teach them to read the Qur'an.

Mosques also act as social centres, with boys' and girls' clubs. They also have family committees, which help Muslim families with their problems, and distribute the zakah money.

There are special services during Friday lunchtimes, attended by fathers and sons, and special Id services attended by the whole family (although males and females pray separately).